Taking charge over Nevada’s Guard

Like Gen. George S. Patton, a voracious reader on world and military history, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has immersed himself into books revealing the accounts of brave soldiers or sailors serving their country from the early days of American independence against the occupying British army to present-day conflicts in Southwest Asia.

“I like to read a lot of history,” said Nevada’s commander-in-chief, who oversees the Nevada National Guard but also reaches out to other military services that have a presence in or near the Silver State such as the U.S. Air Force in southern Nevada, Naval Air Station Fallon or the Marines who train at the Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, Calif., 80 miles south of Carson City.

“I have read about the Revolutionary War … I have read about the Civil War. On my bookshelf is a book about the War of 1812 … I have read seven books on World War II and “Band of Brothers” and have read more contemporary books like “Lone Survivor,” Sandoval explained in a pre-Memorial Day interview in his office.

GREAT RESPECT FOR THE MILITARY

From his early days as a young boy remembering his grandfather who earned the Bronze Star in the Pacific Theater during World War II to his father who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, Sandoval developed an intensely great respect for military men and women who serve in both war and peacetime, both active duty and Guard or Reserve.

“Serving in the military was something I wanted to do, and I came so close to that in law school,” he reflected as a 20-something. “I wanted to serve in the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps, but that didn’t work out.”

Even today, Sandoval said he wonders how his life would have changed if those plans worked out and he had become a JAG officer practicing law in a military courtoom.

It’s no secret to those who know him that one of the governor’s top priorities during his administration is supporting the men and women who don the uniform and serve in the military, specifically the Nevada National Guard. Sandoval said he has a deep devotion and respect for the men and women who serve their state and country as members of the armed forces.

“For me it is the highest privilege and honor to be able to serve as commander in chief of our National Guard since I took office,” Sandoval said.

Brig. Gen. William “Bill” R. Burks, the adjutant general for Nevada, said Sandoval takes his role seriously and shows great pride in the Nevada National Guard.

“Compared with previous governors and looking back, he is by far the most engaged governor in the last 40-plus years of the Nevada Guard,” said Burks, who became adjutant general in 2009. “His best memories were when he was able to visit the troops in the theater (of operations).”

Sandoval will take an active role in honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice this weekend as he speaks Monday at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Ceremony in Fernley and today when he presides over the dedication of the Las Vegas Veterans Memorial that features 18 larger-than-life statues.

“This is a world-class veterans memorial, and it will rival anything you’ll see in Washington, D.C. The statues are from every conflict from the Revolutionary War to the present. It will exceed everybody’s expectations,” Sandoval said.

In the past when Sandoval attends ceremonies either at the NNVMC in Fernley or the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, he meets hundreds of people who come out to pay their respects no matter their age or background.

“The outpouring of their respect is overwhelming,” Sandoval said.

Every year, Sandoval also enjoys speaking at Fallon’s 9/11 ceremony and uses the time, along with Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford, to reflect on the sacrifices made by first-responders and the military and to keep history alive. While the older generation has shown a stronger bond to earlier wartime service, Sandoval said the younger generation has attended various military events including the Memorial Day ceremonies.

“There is no exception in terms of the support for Nevadans I have seen,” Sandoval said of the sons and daughters and of the younger servicemen and women who have served in recent wars.

Because of his dedication and devotion as commander in chief, Sandoval has vowed to make Nevada the friendliest state for both the military and veterans. Not only does the governor talk about the men and women who serve in the military but he also walks the walk … especially on two separate occasions.

“Personally, nothing he has done is short of phenomenal,” Burks added.

VISITING THE TROOPS

In early August 2011, Sandoval and three other governors traveled to the Middle East, first stopping in Iraq and then Kuwait before flying into Afghanistan. The Air Force flew Sandoval and the governors on C-130 transport planes and the Army ferried them aboard Black Hawk helicopters. At times, the travelers wore body armor, and Sandoval kept a detailed journal of his trip, the stops and the people he met and took both video and still photos.

One of the first Nevada units he visited on the trip was the 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion at Kandahar, one of the largest coalition bases in Afghanistan, and the largest installation in the southern part of the war-torn country. Coincidentally, Sandoval presided over a recent mobilization ceremony in which 40 soldiers from the 422nd deployed again but this time to the Horn of Africa.

“We were his first visit (after Sandoval became governor) and the first unit he pushed out the door for deployment,” said retired Lt. Col. Jeff Hansen, commander of the battalion. “He cared about the families and soldiers and said he would take care of us.”

Sandoval met some Nevadans in Iraq and Kuwait during his whirlwind trip that took a week to complete, but the impressions from Afghanistan left a lasting impression with the governor although he never visited soldiers at the front lines. After Sandoval returned to Nevada, Hansen said he and the governor would Skype with each other, and the commander would keep Sandoval current on the battalion’s operations.

“But every morning they wake up to make that sacrifice,” Sandoval said of the guardsmen.

Although that first trip occurred almost five years ago, Sandoval said he still enjoys reading his journal and looking at the photos. He said people can read articles or see news accounts of the war in Afghanistan, but until they experience it in person, they will never know of the sacrifices soldiers or airmen undergo in such extreme conditions.

Sandoval presided over the battalion’s mobilization ceremony on Jan. 9-10, 2011, not knowing he would be invited four months later by the Department of Defense to visit the unit at Kandahar. Sandoval quickly accepted the invitation, wanting to show his admiration and respect to the soldiers serving on the other side of the world and also wanting to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

“At Kandahar, it was very exciting at any time when we would see someone come from back home. That was great,” Hansen said. “We would tell the commander in chief what we were doing. We presented a flag to him that had flown over Afghanistan.”

Likewise, Hansen said Sandoval presented the governor’s coin to as many soldiers as possible.

DEPLOYMENTS

Maj. (then Capt.) Mike Bordallo commanded Co D, 189th General Support Battalion Aviation in Afghanistan in 2012. Sandoval spoke at the company’s deployment and attended the unit’s Gold Star demobilization ceremony several months after they returned in 2013.

“He has been very supportive and shows up to support us,” Bordallo said.” You couldn’t ask for a better governor.”

Their dedication to serve in such adverse conditions and for long hours each day left Sandoval in awe. He said it inspired him to be the best he could be every day for the troops and to ensure they receive the proper benefits once they returned home.

“He is very humble,” Bordallo said of the governor when attending ceremonies. “He let the men and women receive the accolades and let us do our jobs. The fact is his presence says a lot of him as governor. It means a lot to soldiers.”

Likewise, Maj. (then Capt.) Curt Kolvet remembers a drizzling, breezy Saturday morning almost exactly four years ago to the day when Sandoval wished the 593rd Transportation Co., success in Afghanistan.

“He impressed a lot of soldiers and actually cares,” said Kolvet about the mobilization ceremony. “He supports the military and the guard and he takes his role seriously. He has done a fantastic job as far as my soldiers and I are concerned.”

The governor’s second trip to Southwest Asia in 2014 took him to Afghanistan where he traveled the country and met with military personnel from both Nevada and other states. A memory from the second trip also resonates with Sandoval. He flew on the same troop combat planes with both active duty and guardsmen from the major airfields to the smaller forward operating bases.

“One time we sat on the tarmac in 120-degree weather,” Sandoval said of his time flying aboard a small 30-seat plane hosted by a combat flight attendant.

Meeting the soldiers left Sandoval feeling proud.

“In all my experiences, every soldier I interacted with was proud to serve his or her country,” Sandoval said.

In January of this year, Sandoval presided over another large deployment, this time involving the 17th Sustainment Brigade, which is now in Kuwait.

Col. Vernon L. Scarbrough, commander of the brigade, said Sandoval has offered nothing less than stellar support of all Nevada National Guard forces as governor.

“He’s very respectful and passionate in his support of what our soldiers are doing not only for the state but also for the federal wartime mission,” Scarbrough wrote from Kuwait.

“He personally visits all deploying and re-deploying units and has made time in his busy schedule to actually come overseas and visit troops,” Scarbrough added. “In 2011, on my last deployment, he visited us in Afghanistan, and we’re trying to bring him out to visit the troops in Kuwait.”

Furthermore, Scarbrough said the citizens of Nevada need to know that Sandoval makes the safety and security of the citizens of Nevada one of his top priorities, as evident by his full support of the soldiers.

“He’s a very steadfast advocate for us and very proud of his state military forces as evident in his speeches and interactions with soldiers,” Scarbrough said.

TAKING THE LEAD

As commander in chief, Sandoval took the lead role when soldiers and airman deployed. On several occasions, he and his wife, Kathleen, hosted families of deployed military men and women and served them a spaghetti dinner. They set up a Skype station at the Governor’s Mansion to allow the families — especially the children — talk to their loved ones 9,000 miles away.

As governor, he promotes soldiers and airmen who achieve the rank of colonel or higher in his office. Over the years, however, the governor has developed a bond with the families and the military, something he does on a continual basis.

“I feel a kinship with them, and I hope they feel the same way with me,” he said.

Furthermore, since he took his oath of office at the beginning of his first term, Sandoval has not missed a mobilization or demobilization ceremony in more than six years, and he knows more mobilizations are coming including one to the Horn of Africa. Approximately 16 percent of the Nevada Guard, said Sandoval, is also deployed in Afghanistan, Egypt and Kuwait.

“In my opinion, he is the best commander in chief anywhere in the nation,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Hanifan, commander of the Army Guard in Nevada. “In his heart he appreciates everything we’re doing.”

Yet, the commander in chief was heartbroken in September 2011 when a gunman fatally shot three guardsmen and a civilian at the IHOP restaurant in Carson City before taking his own life. Sandoval took the lead and consoled a shocked state and Nevada’s devastated Guard members.

Hanifan said the tragic event still weighs heavily on the governor: “When we have our memorial run every year for the deceased guardsmen, the governor shows up — unannounced — and participates out of respect. He considers it the thing to do.”